Don't Be A Scammer's Next Victim!
Popular Scams - Craigslist, Ebay and Other Buying/Selling Sites

Following is Craigslist's advice on avoiding scams. 
I've had scammers attempt to screw me over on items that i sell, using one or more of these methods. 
Luckily, they've never succeeded.

Avoiding Scams

Deal locally, face-to-face —follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.

• Do not provide payment to anyone you have not met in person.
• Beware of offers involving shipping - deal with locals you can meet in person.
• Never wire funds (e.g. Western Union) - anyone who asks you to is a scammer.
• Don't accept cashier/certified checks or money orders - banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible.
• Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a "guarantee".
• Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, paypal account, etc).
• Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen—that amazing "deal" may not exist.
• Refuse background/credit checks until you have met landlord/employer in person.
• "craigslist voicemails" - Any message asking you to access or check "craigslist voicemails" or "craigslist voice messages" is fraudulent 
  - no such service exists.

Who should you notify about fraud or scam attempts?

If you are defrauded by someone you met in person, contact your local police department. 
If you suspect that a craigslist post may be connected to a scam, please send us the details.

• Internet Fraud Complaint Center
• FTC complaint form and hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
• Consumer Sentinel/Military (for armed service members and families)

Recognizing scams

Most scams attempts involve one or more of the following:

• Email or text from someone that is not local to your area.
• Vague initial inquiry, e.g. asking about "the item." Poor grammar/spelling.
• Western Union, Money Gram, cashier check, money order, Paypal, Zelle, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee."
• Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face to complete the transaction.

Examples of Scams

1. Someone claims your transaction is guaranteed, that a buyer/seller is officially certified, OR that a third party of any kind will handle or provide protection for a payment:

• These claims are fraudulent, as transactions are between users only.
• The scammer will often send an official looking (but fake) email that appears to come from craigslist or another third party, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, or pretending to handle payments.

2. Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check:

• You receive an email or text offering to buy your item, pay for your services in advance, or rent your apartment, sight unseen and without meeting you in person.
• A cashier's check is offered for your sale item as a deposit for an apartment or for your services.
• Value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item—scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service.
• Banks will cash fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, sometimes including criminal prosecution.
• Scams often pretend to involve a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate, etc.).

3. Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:

• Deal often seems too good to be true, price is too low, or rent is below market, etc.
• Scam "bait" items include apartments, laptops, TVs, cell phones, tickets, other high value items.
• Scammer may (falsely) claim a confirmation code from you is needed before he can withdraw your money.
• Common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, UK, Netherlands—but could be anywhere.
• Rental may be local, but owner is "travelling" or "relocating" and needs you to wire money abroad.
• Scammer may pretend to be unable to speak by phone (scammers prefer to operate by text/email).

4. Distant person offers to send you a cashier's check or money order and then have you wire money:

• This is ALWAYS a scam in our experience—the cashier's check is FAKE.
• Sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not.
• Scammer often asks for your name, address, etc. for printing on the fake check.
• Deal often seems too good to be true.

5. Distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service:

• Most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT and operated by scammers.
• For more info, do a google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud."

6. Distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which they will ship goods:

• He says he trusts you with the partial payment.
• He may say he has already shipped the goods.
• Deal often sounds too good to be true.

Protect Yourself  When Buying or Selling On Ebay

Much of the same advice from Craigslist holds true. 
The company has put in some safeguards, but you can do a lot to protect yourself as an eBay user.

eBay buyer scam examples

1. Non-delivery scam

An eBay money-back guarantee protects buyers from fraudulent sellers, save for some exclusions. 
The following is a list of items that are not covered, which means the seller can accept payment, fail to send the item, and then you as the buyer have no recourse through the eBay website. Be cautious when purchasing items from the following list:

• Businesses for sale
• Some categories of business equipment
• Websites for sale
• Real estate
• Vehicles
• Services
• Items sold by Sotheby’s
• Classified ads

2. Seller ships with deliberately incorrect name on label

This scam is clever because the deceit occurs offline after the eBay transaction is complete. After completing the sale normally, the seller will post the package with the correct address but the wrong name. This leads you as the buyer to think you’ve received someone else’s parcel by mistake, and you return it or take it back to the post office. The eBay transaction is listed as refused or returned, the seller gets the product back and keeps the payment, too. There is no way to dispute a transaction once it’s finalized in this way.

3. The empty box scam

This is a scam to watch for if you are looking for a highly popular item that is generating a lot of media attention, has a limited release, or is difficult to get elsewhere. You may see a coveted item for sale and quickly purchase it, sometimes paying above market price to secure it. Sadly, in the rush, you may have failed to notice that the listing only specified the box the item came in, not the item itself. You end up owning expensive packaging, without the desired product.

4. Counterfeit goods

The downside of buying online is that there is no way to verify the authenticity of the goods before you buy them. Scammers know this and will sometimes offer high quality, brand-name items for sale at a very attractive price. Unfortunately, the items are affordable because they are counterfeit, or ‘knock-off’ replicas.

5. Payment Outside of eBay

eBay’s security systems can only protect buyers and sellers when transactions occur directly on the website. Illegitimate sellers may offer an item for sale but then request that the payment is sent outside of the platform. For example, they may ask for cash, bank transfer, check, money order or even gift cards. Once the scammer has your money through untraceable means, they will stop communicating with you and will not send the item. eBay will not assist with a transaction that occurred beyond its purview.

6. Fake customer service

Similar to the above scam, a fraudulent seller can place a fake Ebay customer service number on their profile or product page. When a problem with your order occurs—it doesn’t arrive or is the wrong item—the victim calls this number. The scammer pretends to be Ebay customer service and convinces the victim to hand over money or sensitive information. In some cases, the scammer will tell the victim that the former needs access to the latter’s bank account in order to process a refund.

7. Gift card scam

Gift card scammers reach out to victims by phone, email, or social media. They offer some sort of limited-time discount in order to create a sense of urgency. The scammer will ask for the victim’s gift card number to use as payment. Once they have the code, they disappear and make off with your gift card balance.

Here are some of the most common ways eBay sellers are scammed.
A scammer doesn’t have to try very hard to steal your money, as most transaction sites are built to protect the buyer.

1. Private deal offered outside of eBay

A buyer may see your item and offer to pay for it privately rather than using eBay’s official payment channels. They may reason that when sales are conducted offsite the seller (you) can avoid paying transaction fees. You close the listing and send the item, but either they don’t pay, or they dispute the transaction with eBay, claiming the item was broken or that the listing was a fake.

2. Overpayment offer

If you have an item for sale, a potential buyer may contact you and offer to pay over the asking price for it. At first, it might seem foolish to pass up a generous offer, but often it’s a trap. The buyer will pay with a fraudulent check. You send the item promptly but days later you find that the check bounces, leaving you with nothing.

3. Changed address

This scam is a new twist on the offer of overpayment. A buyer will offer to purchase your item and send a larger payment than required. They say it’s to cover additional shipping costs, as they suddenly need it sent to a foreign country (often Nigeria, although not always). The scammers will also ask for your PayPal email address. Soon afterward, you’ll be contacted by scammers pretending to be from PayPal, asking for postal tracking numbers. The email will state that the payment will be released to you once you have proven that the goods have been sent. If you’re a trusting person, you may send the item in good faith, assuming the email is authentic. As it’s a scam, you will never see your money or your items again.

4. Empty box claim

In this case, the purchase may be completed without flaw. The buyer pays quickly, and you send the item without concern. The buyer receives the item but claims you sent an empty box – in other words, accuses you of fraud. eBay will demand a return and the buyer sends the empty box back to you, keeping the item and the money as it’s refunded.

5. Buyer claims the item wasn’t received

PayPal Seller Protection exists to help sellers trade confidently on eBay. In order for it to work, sellers must provide proof of item delivery. If the shipped item was sold for under $750, delivery notification is adequate proof. If the item is sold for more than $750 the item must have signature delivery proof. Experienced scammers know this and may take advantage of sellers that are unaware of this additional burden of proof requirement. They can claim the item was not received, claim a refund and make off with the expensive item.

6. Broken replica scam

A buyer happily purchases your item. Once payment is confirmed you ship it promptly. In this scam, the buyer then accuses you of sending a damaged item. They may even provide photos of the broken item. Unfortunately for you, the item is a replica of the one you sent. The buyer can report the item as damaged to eBay and get a refund, leaving you without your item or the payment.

7. Unwarranted chargeback

If you successfully complete a transaction and the buyer pays with a credit card or PayPal, they can easily contact the provider and cancel the transaction. The money will be recovered from you and you will be charged an additional chargeback fee (that’s $20 for PayPal, individual credit card companies vary). The scammer only needs to say they suspect something was wrong and most institutions will chargeback straightaway, regardless of whether they already have the item or what condition it’s in. Disputing the chargeback can take a lot of time and hassle on your behalf.

8. Feedback extortion

Because eBay functions as an intermediary between private buyers and sellers, the idea of building an online reputation on the site is pretty important. Each transaction creates the opportunity for both buyers and sellers to leave public feedback about the experience. It’s usually not a good idea to trade with accounts that have bad feedback. Knowing this, some scammers will buy from you and then demand money be sent through private means so that negative feedback won’t be left on your account. This is a type of blackmail. As completed feedback can’t be disputed, it places some people in a position where they feel they must comply or risk the integrity of their account.

How to avoid eBay scams

• Never accept checks as payment. It’s very risky as they are often a target for fraud. If you do accept checks, wait until they clear. After you deposit a check, the balance will show in your account, but it can take a week or two to verify. If you send the parcel before the check clears it could leave you with an empty bank account and no item. Always use approved eBay payment methods.
• Always complete transactions through eBay’s official channels. Communicate using the service provided. eBay cannot follow up deals made outside of the platform and cannot verify communications or agreements made on private channels. Give yourself every chance of protection by showing eBay you’ve acted in good faith.
• Document everything. Make an effort to record the packing and posting of every item, including any tracking numbers used. This will help protect you against baseless fraud claims. eBay will typically side with the buyer, so dispute any claims you think are untrue and back them up with your photographic evidence.
• Along with photographing everything, try to record any identifying details about the item. Particularly if the item is expensive, popular, or desirable (such as new cell phones or gaming consoles). Record any serial numbers or unique codes.
• Always arrange for a tracking number for any deliveries you send. If the item is worth more than $750, arrange for signature on delivery. This helps to cover you for PayPal Seller Protection (but not necessarily other payment methods available through eBay). Use the highest security tracking you think is appropriate for the value of the item you send. Remember that the more proof you can arrange, the more secure your transaction will be in the case of a fraudulent dispute.
• You should be able to dispute a chargeback with the bank if you think it’s fraudulent but be prepared to provide proof. PayPal Seller Protection also has mechanisms to protect against spurious chargebacks, so don’t hesitate to challenge one if you think it’s incorrect. It can also be smart to issue a refund if you have an unhappy customer. It will only cost you the amount of the item, rather than the additional costs of chargeback fees if the customer takes the matter up with their financial institution.
• Check to see if the image used to show the item is being used on other listings as well, or if it’s a stock image from the web. If it is, and the seller is unwilling to send other photos or information about the item, it could be a scam and should be avoided.
• Compare the price to other similar items. If it’s heavily discounted without good reason (like listed damage for example) it may be a scam or even stolen property. Steer clear.
• Investigate the feedback page. If the good feedback is all from sellers for low-priced items, it may be strategic to make the profile look genuine. It may also be an inexperienced seller, so don’t hesitate to open up a conversation about the item within eBay’s messaging system.
• There is little you can do to protect yourself if the item isn’t covered by the money-back guarantee, so investigate the seller profile in detail first, and act cautiously if the item is very expensive and outside the protection of the policy.
• If you receive a parcel that is not addressed to you, think carefully. Are you expecting a parcel around this time? Check for any shipping numbers or transaction codes you can use to verify that it’s your package. If every detail matches up except the name, you may choose to open it to verify that your goods are there.
• Never rush to purchase an item on eBay. Read the listing carefully. If the item is listed as the box only in the title of the listing or clearly in the description, there will be little you can do to dispute a transaction, as the information presented was true and correct.

How To Report It

What to do if you’ve been scammed on eBay

eBay is very aware that scams occur on the website. They readily cooperate with law enforcement and encourage scammed users to make a police report with their local authorities. If you want to understand the process of reporting a scam to police and how eBay is involved, visit the eBay Security Center.

You can report an issue with a seller to eBay directly here.

If you find an item on eBay that you think is fraudulent, report the listing directly.

Report a buyer if you think they have acted illegally or fraudulently here.

Sources of info: craigslist.org, ebay.com
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